Leonora Zilkha Williamson

Associate Professor of the Practice of Business Studies

Email: leonora.z.williamson@vanderbilt.edu
Office: Calhoun 215-K
Office Hours:  by appointment

Leonora Zilkha Williamson is a Family Enterprise Coach and Associate Professor of the Practice at Vanderbilt University, where she has taught/ teaches Negotiation, Corporate Social Responsibility and Family Business.  In 2019 she founded Platinum Rule Advisors, a consulting firm devoted to coaching, facilitation, training, workshops and retreats for families, family businesses and family offices. As a college professor and family coach, she particularly loves working with NextGens, and with senior family members on defining their legacy.

Her career includes roles at Brown Brothers Harriman, J.P. Morgan, the Boston Consulting Group, and Estée Lauder, which is publicly-traded and family-controlled. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School, she is also a certified coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation, and a member of the Harvard Institute of Coaching, the Forbes Coaches Council, and Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches.  She was named the #1 Executive Coach in Nashville in 2021 and 2022 by Influence Digest, and is a 2022 Nashville Business Journal Woman of Influence.

Leonora’s interest in family enterprise is deeply personal. Her maternal grandfather was a Trust and Estates lawyer, and her father’s family has owned various business for over a century. Today, her family is the majority owner of Maine-based boat companies Sabre Yachts and Back Cove Yachts, and Leonora serves on the boards. Family enterprise has been the backdrop for much of her professional experience – especially at Brown Brothers and Estee Lauder. When she transitioned from corporate work and investing to coaching nearly a decade ago, her calling to work with families was clear.

Leonora has lived in 8 countries, speaks 5 languages, and carries 2 passports.  She was a founding partner of women’s angel investment group The JumpFund. She has served on dozens of boards, both non-profit and for-profit. She is a frequent speaker on Negotiation and family business topics. She lives in Nashville with her two children and a golden retriever named Sally.